NAIROBI, Kenya – A total of 242 newly qualified lawyers have been admitted to the Roll of Advocates in a ceremony presided over by Chief Justice Martha Koome at the Milimani Law Courts, Nairobi.
The event marked a significant milestone for the legal fraternity, bringing the number of advocates admitted this year to 950, with one more cohort still awaiting clearance by the Kenya School of Law and the Council of Legal Education.
Chief Justice Koome described the ceremony as more than a career milestone, calling it a constitutional responsibility.
“Each new advocate we admit represents the future of the legal profession, the vitality of the rule of law, and the strength of our democracy,” she said.
Koome reminded the new advocates of the weight of the oath they had taken, stressing that it was a covenant with the people of Kenya rather than a formality.
“This morning, each of you took a sacred oath. It is not mere words recited in formality. It is a solemn promise between you and the people of Kenya,” she said.
She urged the group to be guided by justice, fairness, and moral conviction in their practice.
“The people of Kenya are looking to you, not just to interpret the law, but to safeguard democracy, defend the Constitution, protect rights, and serve as a moral compass in times of uncertainty,” she emphasised.
Justice gaps
Chief Registrar of the Judiciary Winfridah Mokaya also addressed the ceremony, highlighting the country’s stark shortages in judicial officers.
She revealed that Kenya currently has only 202 judges serving a population of 57 million—translating to one judge for every 279,000 citizens—far below international best practice of one for every 50,000 to 100,000 people.
“The country also has 561 magistrates, which is one for every 98,000 Kenyans. The imbalance is stark, and it explains why case backlogs persist,” Mokaya said.
However, she challenged the new lawyers to view the shortfall as an opportunity to contribute to reforms under the Judiciary’s Social Transformation through Access to Justice (STAJ) Blueprint.
“I urge you to see your admission not as the end of a long journey, but as the beginning of a career that can profoundly impact communities and strengthen the rule of law,” she added.
The admission of the new cohort is expected to bolster Kenya’s legal profession at a time when access to justice remains a pressing concern.
